Los Angeles, like New York, is full of amazing old hotel turned apartments that once played host to (and still do to this day) artists, musicians, actors, transplants from other cities and people from all walks of life who converge and make their home a continuation of a grand history. These buildings are teeming with stories, perhaps spirits?, and the heaviness of years upon years of… well… life. Steve and I decided to shoot one of these storied residences, and perhaps Los Angeles’ most famous… The Gaylord Apartments. Of course our goal was to seek out architectural detail… but what we left with were stories of our own…
From the website:
Built in 1924 by J.B. Lilly and P.B. Fletcher, the Gaylord, like Wilshire Boulevard, was named after famous real estate mogul and outspoken socialist, Henry Gaylord Wilshire. The thirteen-story, Italian Renaissance building stood directly across from the famed Ambassador Hotel and Cocoanut Grove, where Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968. To the direct west of the Gaylord was the popular Brown Derby, an iconic Los Angeles restaurant known for its hat-shaped structure.
By the time the Gaylord celebrated its 2nd anniversary, the city was reveling in the Golden Age of Hollywood, and Wilshire Boulevard was a bustling avenue filled with historical icons. Initially a hotel before it was converted into an apartment building, The Gaylord attracted many high profile visitors from stage, screen and politics alike. Among many influential guests, John Barrymore lived there in the ‘40’s and Richard Nixon was said to have kept an apartment on the 6th floor before he was President.
What we learned:
- There was an AMAZING ballroom, fountain and fireplace that used to be on the ground floor, but William Randolph Hearst tore it down to make the HMS Bounty… a dark, nautical themed bar/restaurant… so he could do ‘business” away from the paparazzi who stalked the Ambassador across the street. Eric, the manager, showed us a picture of the original grounds… what a tragic loss :(! (More on the “words cannot describe” HMS Bounty in part 2.)
- There used to be an underground tunnel from The Ambassador to The Gaylord/HMS Bounty for call girls and such to go unnoticed. Sara Vaughn used to slip away with them from her gigs at The Ambassador to go grab a drink…
- Movies still shoot there regularly. Our new friend Eric (the resident) lives in the apartment where Paul Thomas Anderson just shot The Master with Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman. He got to keep the upgrades and whatever else Joaquin happened to leave there ;).
- Pop culture former residents: DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba, Kevin Dillon, and I’m sure MANY more…
- Ghost stories abound…
Love the old sign! We caught a few more that surround the building…
… like this one
… and this old beauty
… but back to this old guy…
Kinda NYC, no?
I think I want a “The Murphy” sign on the front of my duplex… too much?
Loving the blue chairs, but I’d love them more if they hired me to reupholster them :).
I’m happy The Gaylord is “energy saving”, but what in this picture doesn’t quite belong?
Not sure what’s prettier… the ironwork on the light, or the ceiling…
Might have to go with this…
Lovely lady lamp…
This mailbox on the ground floor is connected to an actual mail shoot that services all of the floors above. I’d use it just because it seems fun…
Do people still have Soiree’s? I’d like to throw one…
Outdoor courtyard. It could use some FAB outdoor decor…
Love the tile work that continues through the stairs…
Pretty little slice of sun…
We love this font… how about you?
Neato shot Steve… this one might be a framer!
Apartment detail…
Not gonna lie… the hallways were a bit creepy… like kind of The Shining creepy…
Meet our new friend Eric (the resident)… he’s an actor, writer, producer, jack-of-all trades with a new movie coming out soon called Vile. Super cool dude… you’ll see more of him in Part 2… The HMS Bounty ;).
See that massive soccer field across the street? It’s part of a multi-million dollar school that sits where the Ambassadore Hotel sadly could not be saved…
Beautiful day…
Beautiful decay…
Oh the stories these cigs could tell…
OG carpet swatch… the quality is actually amazing… like 100x better than what Eric (apartment manager) is standing on ;).
One more look outside… welcome to the Hotel California.
“Charmed” I’m sure…
At the corner of Right and Wilshire…
I have to leave you with a pic of the original Fountain Room as a preview of Part 2. Prepare to set sail on the HMS Bounty!
Thanks again to Steve for the super shots, and fantastic company as always. Thanks to resident Eric for your hospitality and storytelling. And thanks to manager Eric for the great pic above and and some extra history tidbits!
